A corral of cattle rustlers, outlaws, and other desperadoes ride the range in this bronco-busting anthology of nineteen tales set in the Old West. Spanning the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the diverse stories prove there's no "e;average"e; cowboy, but a wide range of rugged individuals. Yet these vividly portrayed characters all seem to possess a sense of freedom, a strong relationship with the land, and a desire to live by their own standards. The result is an action-packed collection that's a feast for anyone smitten by frontier fiction.The roundup is an adventurous mix — from genre favorites Zane Grey and Frederic Remington to unexpected contributions from Mark Twain and Theodore Roosevelt. There's a romanticized spin from a female author, a unique viewpoint from a former slave, plus a 1902 story by Owen Wister taken from The Virginian, which molded the future of cowboy novels. In "e;The Caballero's Way"e; by O. Henry, the Cisco Kid discovers his lady love has strayed into the arms of a scheming ranger — and concocts a devious plan for revenge. In "e;The Trouble Man"e; by Eugene Manlove Rhodes, a battle over territory between sheepherders and cattle owners leads to a deadly confrontation. With a short biography of each author, this anthology celebrates the courage and spirit that won the West!
